1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pivoting mechanism for a stand and an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to a pivoting mechanism for a stand and an electronic apparatus wherein the stand is mounted for pivotal motion on an apparatus body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic apparatus such as personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDA) and television receivers are known wherein a stand is supported for pivotal motion on a rear face of an apparatus body by means of a pivoting mechanism. One of such electronic apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-219645.
Where a pivoting mechanism for a stand is used, the apparatus body can be held at an arbitrary angular position by adjusting the pivoting angle of the stand with respect to the apparatus body.
In some electronic apparatus in which such a pivoting mechanism for a stand as described above is incorporated, the stand is biased in one of the opposite directions of pivotal motion, that is, in a direction in which an end portion of the stand approaches a lower end portion of the apparatus body.
Such an electronic apparatus as just described is shown in FIG. 32. Referring to FIG. 32, in the electronic apparatus shown, if it is tried to adjust the angular position of an apparatus body a, for example, from a position in which a display screen b extends substantially horizontally (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 32) to another position in which the display screen b extends substantially vertically (position indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. 32), then a stand c is pivoted following the angular change of the display screen b while it remains in contact with a receiving face d of a desk or the like. Consequently, there is no necessity to manually pivot the stand c in a direction in which the lower end portion of the stand c approaches the apparatus body a after the angular position of the apparatus body a is adjusted. Therefore, the electronic apparatus is enhanced in convenience in use.